Sunshine quilt

Tuesday, 17 December 2013

S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G - We're shopping

I heard this Pet Shop Boys song the other day when I was sewing and it got me thinking! I normally really hate shopping, for clothes especially. Christmas shopping has lost all its magic for me as well. When I do have to go into a department store, especially this time of year, I find the huge displays of stuff to buy (that I don't need) almost overwhelming. I don't want to be snobby about this - I really used to love going round the shops and choosing all my Christmas presents, but I think I've done it too many times and the novelty has worn off. It most certainly has lost its attraction for me.

But fabric ...... well shopping for fabric is a completely different matter. I LOVE shopping for fabric. Maybe it's because I don't have to worry about whether it suits me, or because I can buy just a little bit for not very much money, but for me shopping for fabric has some of the old magic that shopping for clothes or presents used to have when I was younger.

I found this list of quilt shops on the blog needles and lemons which I really liked. I thought I might try and make a list of shops I like in the Midlands soon. I've worked out that I use shops for quite different purposes - so I have those that I might make a special effort to go to which have a huge range, but I also like some of the small local ones where choice is limited but reflects what the shop owner likes. I do usually try and buy something wherever I go, however small, because I think it must be tough running a real live fabric shop when the internet is so all encompassing . If we don't use the little shops we will certainly lose them.

This weekend my husband and I treated ourselves to a trip on a vintage steam train from Tamworth to York and back for our Christmas present.

It was a lovely ride, and when we got to York we headed for the shops. Not for us the busy Christmas streets or the queue for Betty's - no, I nipped into a fabric shop and he went to a model railway shop. The Viking Loom was a really lovely craft and haberdashery shop - small but full of carefully chosen fabrics. For just a little more than £20 I brought home six fat quarters as a memento of our day in York that one day will find their way into a quilt and remind me of that trip. Now that's my idea of shopping!

1 comment:

This post made me think how much I enjoyed choosing fabric for you too. Trying to buy something you would like but perhaps wouldn't buy for yourself-quite difficult!! We'll see what you think on Christmas day!

About Me

Hello! I have just started writing a quilting blog, and with my husband Paul, a gardening blog. The aim of both is to create a record of what we are making and share this with like-minded people. We have two grown up daughters who are both married and live quite near to us. We both work full time so quilting and gardening is for evenings and weekends. Along with our black labrador Wilf, we live in a much loved Victorian house in the UK which we have restored - and we are now focusing our attention on the garden.